XAVIER'S POV

According to Melissa’s flight schedule, she was supposed to have arrived hours ago. I had checked the airline tracker more times than I could count, refreshing the page like some obsessed teenager waiting for confirmation that his crush had landed safely. She had. The status updated to “Arrived – On Time.”

But there was no call. No text. Not even the usual quick, “I’m here, baby. I’ll call you once I’m settled.”

It wasn’t like her. Melissa wasn’t ...